Aspartame, also marketed as Nutrasweet or Equal, is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in many foods and beverages. It was first synthesized in 1965, however it took 16 years before the FDA allowed it in the the US marketplace. In 1981 Aspartame was introduced in diet sodas with the Coca Cola company being first to market, thus the birth of Diet Coke.
